I have a Stinger 1 with the recoil lathe. I used it quite a bit a couple years ago but always with the single tool post processor. Getting back in the game recently and have been doing more with tool change stuff. I have the ATC option in addition to the lathe. I'm using VcarvePro 8.5 and from what I can determine, I have the latest post processor.

When I run a tool change job on the lathe with the CAMaster Recoil XtoA (TC) INCH.pp the machine does the following:

I set the machine to lathe home and use the laser X0Y0 to set X0 and Y0 (X is not changed from lathe home) for the job. I zero Z to the tail stock point and use the job center as Z0.

1.) Open job file in winCNC and hit enter...
2.) Machine head returns to home position (not lathe home, "table" home)
3.) I install correct tool and hit enter
4.) Machine measures tool and returns to table home
5.) When I hit enter again it goes to lathe home and starts the job.

When the tool change process repeats itself for the next tool it does the following:

6.) Machine head returns to home position (not lathe home, "table" home)
7.) I install correct tool and hit enter
8.) Machine measures tool and returns to table home
9.) When I hit enter again it starts cutting from the table home position without going to the lathe home.

So, the first tool change it seems like it knows to go to the lathe home (X0). On subsequent tool changes it stays at the table home - which is something like X -26.xxx.

It seems that on the first tool measure it issues a command sending it to X0, Y0, A0. On the subsequent tool changes, it only sends a command to do Y0, A0. By leaving the X0 off, it never moves to the lathe. I see 2 ways this can be fixed:

1.) I would prefer that it go to lathe home, measure tool and back to lathe home before it starts the next cut. It would make sense that lathe jobs run from lathe home. If it did this, then sending X0 in the subsequent tool changes is not necessary since you are already there.

2.) Change the code so it issues the same command (X0, Y0, A0) after all tool measurement cycles, not just the first one.

Has anyone else had this issue? Does anyone know how to modify the post processor to work correctly? Am i dong something wrong to get these results?

I actually opened a bug with Vectric about this because when I used my Recoil for testing a few months ago, I hit the same issue. I gave them the exact line that Gary posted and told them where to place it. They replied that the manufacturer is responsible for providing the post processors and refused to change it.

I since found the post processor posted on camheads, and it has the fix. I never followed up with CAMaster to find out why they've never sent a corrected version to Vectric.